Activist DeChristopher gets two years

It could have been ten years. It possibly could even have been nothing. Or community service.

But the Associated Press and other news media are reporting that activist Tim DeChristopher, who disrupted a sale of  oil and gas leases near two national parks in Utah, was sentenced to two years in jail today.

He also was fined $10,000, although surely the throng of wealthy celebrities who have rallied to his cause will ante up the funds.

DeChristopher, who never denied his acts, but defended them as civil disobedience, has garnered much attention and support since his conviction in March of two felony counts of interfering with a government auction and making "false representations" to do it in 2008.

In a roughly 35-minute address to the court, DeChristopher restated his belief that his actions were an act of civil disobedience necessary to highlight the impending threat of climate change to the planet, the AP reported.

"My intent both at the time of the auction and now was to expose, embarrass and hold accountable the oil and gas industry, to point that it cut into their $100 billion profits," DeChristopher told U.S. District Judge Dee Benson.

Outside the courthouse, Peter Yarrow -- of the folk group, Peter, Paul and Mary -- sang and joined about 100 other protesters organized by DeChristopher's nonprofit group, Peaceful Uprising.  Just now, the website was down because of capacity problems.

The case hasn't received much attention around here, but New Jersey environmentalist Bill Wolfe has been following the action and blogged about it, saying, "My heart weeps – I am speechless and sickened with rage at this injustice," adding, "Tim is a hero. He was acting in the spirit of a long and noble tradition of American dissidents and heroes."  Wolfe titled his post, "Hope is now a federal crime."

The former wilderness guide, who was 29 at the time, ran up bids on 13 parcels totaling more than 22,000 acres near Arches and Canyonlands national parks.

Federal prosecutors had sought a stiff sentence and objected to a U.S. Probation Office report that recommended a sentence less than the 10-year maximum. They contended the report underestimates the harm caused when DeChristopher ran up the price of the parcels, pushing the bids beyond the reach of other buyers in December 2008.

He ended up with $1.7 million in leases on 22,500 acres, AP reports. DeChristopher could not pay for the leases and his actions cost some angry oilmen hundreds of thousands of dollars in higher bids for other parcels. the story by Jennifer Dobner said.

"He lied, obstructed lawful government proceedings and caused extraordinary loss to others. Unilaterally, he played out the parts of accuser, jury and judge as he determined the fate of the oil-and-gas lease auction and its intended participants that day," prosecutors said in court documents.

What I wonder is whether DeChristopher is either an example of -- or a harbinger of -- a new era of environmental activists. His supports have invoked the names of monkey wrencher Edward Abbey and others.

At the protest outside, 26 people were arrested, according to a Salt Lake City police spokeswoman.